Failure
by Super-Vader
Summary: In his long life the Third had made many mistakes and failures but none can compare to his failing in protecting Naruto...


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Naruto would have killed everyone in Konoha, then beat the shit out of Sakura and Sasuke.

The Sandaime stood out in the hall of Konoha hospital, deep in his own thoughts. The night had been one of many, many nights that held suffering. Tonight was October 10, a day that is celebrated for the defeat of a mighty beast, a day that is celebrated for the selflessness of one man, and a day that should be celebrated for our savior, a boy by the name of Naruto Uzumaki.

Tho he should be seen as a hero, he was seen as a monster and treated as such. The boy was tortured, both physically and verbally. He was alienated from other children, when he went to shop he was charged at the very least three times as much as things normally cost. It was like seeing wolfs beat down there prey, before finally giving it blissful death.

But could they really be blamed? Many brave ninja were lost the night of the Kyuubi's appearance, and great deals of civilians were victim to the beast great rage. What were they to do once they had learned what had become of the great fox? They were blind by there rage, they did not see a boy who had a demons spirit sealed in him, they saw a monster reincarnated into a boy. As such they let there pent up frustration on the boy, begging the boys suffering.

That is no excuse to what had happen tonight, the things that was done to him… a chill ran up the aged mans back. He had seen much death in his time and it had hardened him. He had seen things that would make the devil himself quiver. But the things done to the boy were far worse.

When the boy was found, it was almost impossible to tell it was a boy. He lay, pinned to a cross burnt to a crisp and broken. The pain and agony the boy had felt was some form of sick pleasure for the villagers. They would pay for what they have done; the old Kage would make sure of it.

He turned and walked down the hall, exhausted by the night's events. Further down the hall he saw a doctor staring threw a window and writing down on a clip board. He sighed, with any luck things won't be as sever as he had thought.

The doctor looked over to the approaching Kage with a grim expression. He was slumped over slightly barely keeping himself from falling down from tiredness. "Tell me how he is doing Karu." The Kage asked.

Karu looked frighten for a moment, afraid to say something that would further depress the aged Kage. "It's bad Sandaime-sama…very bad. The boys arms and legs are fractured in multiple places. Four ribs cracked and one having to be removed or it could have damaged his lungs. Tho not that it would have really mattered. With his lungs the way they are, he'll be lucky to ever breath on his own again, then there's the damage to his head. With the blows he took to the head, it is estimated that he will be in a coma for some time. Then there is the damage done to his chakra coils."

The Kages eyes widen at that, any damage done to the coils could end anyones chance of being a shinobi.

The docter looked hesitent, not sure how to best explain "His coils...there breaking down. We were able to discover the cause for this, he was injected with some kind of poison that direcly attacks his coils, worst yet this poison seems to be made for jinchuuriki. This would explain why the Kyuubi has not healed any of the damage. With its chakra unable to make it through the boys body, his wounds were left as they are. We have had Anko extract some of the boys blood to try and find a cure for it but she as not given us a reply on her findings yet."

"Thank you doctor…that will be all…" The doctor nodded and walked away to leave the aged Kage to his thoughts.

He looked over to the boys door, he swallowed a lump that had grown in his throat and walked into the room. And what he saw before him nearly gave him a heart attack.

In the bed lay…what remained of the boy wrapped in bandages from head to toe. Tubes and wires leading from his chest and mouth to monitors to make sure he breathed and his heart was beating right.

He made his way to the bed and as he neared the broken boy, he realized just how much of a failure he had become.

Was he cursed? To fail over and over again? No matter how hard he has tried, is actions were met with failure.

His students being some of the many failures of his life.

It began with Orochimaru, the aged Kage knew the boy had a darkness growing in him but ignored it and hoped he would grow past it. What a fool he was to think that. The Boy had grown to be a sick man. Killing hundreds in his quest to try and learn all jutsu and become immortal. And when the chance had risen to put a stop to it, he foolishly did not.

Then there was Tsunade. He had denied her a chance to build a school to tech medical ninja. He was not there to help her threw the death of her brother or lover. Because of this, she has left the village hating it and vowing never to return. Now she was a drunk gambler, a mere shell of her former self.

Last was Jiraiya. True he still held much love for Konoha but he also has lost much and has gone to a self exile so to speak. He did not want to return, not with the death of his pupil. Jiraiya lost something akin to a son that night. And it may stay with him for the rest of his life.

He had failed many more times. But none would ever come close to failing Naruto. He was unable to protect the boy. He was unable to give him a normal life. He was unable to do anything for the boy besides give him a place to live and some money. What kind of Hokage was he? He had so much power yet unable to do anything with it, not with the council screaming for the boys head on a spike.

The aged Kages eyes traveled over the machines then out of the window to look at the people below.

_They did this to him…_

The boys suffering came from living. Since the day the boy was born he has been hated by all...maybe…maybe if he pulled the plug…the boys pain would cease…

_Oh Minato… what would you have done…_

He turn to look back at the boy, his eyes full of sorrow...

_If you had known…_

He had failed the boy by not protecting him...now he would do what he must to end his pain...

_What the village you died for…_

He walked torward the boy, tears forming at his eyes..

_Would do to your son?_

That night Konoha celebrated, not for the man that sacrificed himself for his village.

_Minato…_

Not for the defeat of the Kyuubi…

_I'm sorry…_

And not for the birthday of one boy…

_But I failed…_

That night, all of Konoha celebrated the death of one boy…

All of Konoha but one man…

For this old man wept for the passing of Naruto Uzumaki…

I made some improvements in hopes to beter explain some things.


End file.
